


Facade

by Spademyheart



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gutterbugs, Liz whump, Lizzington - Freeform, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:18:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4709075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spademyheart/pseuds/Spademyheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Liz is a Private Investigator, Red is still the Concierge of Crime.  Red hires Liz to help him take down an child slave ring fronting as an orphanage</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to Emma_of_Dismay and Literarybitca for being awesome and betaing this for me.
> 
> I do not own these characters.

An elegantly dressed man watched Tom Keen’s arrest from a darkened window in a high rise building across the street. Police swarmed around the busy thoroughfare where the smuggling ring used a seemingly innocuous flat as a base. Onlookers were stopping to take pictures and video of the scene. Once these images were uploaded to social media, the story would spread like wildfire. Tom’s handlers would have to send him away… that is, if they decided to bail him out at all.

He had waited months for this plan to come to fruition. The girl would now be free from the monster who had tried to insinuate himself into her life. Unfortunately, Tom had become intimate with the girl, forcing the chain of events that had led them here. At least they hadn’t gotten married; that would have posed an even greater problem.

He would now have to enter her life in order to keep her safe and close at hand. Tom was sent in to get close and spy on her when the alliance known as the cabal found out he was keeping tabs on someone. There would be a reckoning once he figured out who had betrayed him. The list of those privy to information on the girl was extremely short.

He had watched the girl for years. Secretly seeing to her education, calling in favors and smoothing the way for her whenever he could. He hadn’t seen her since the night he had dropped her off at his friend Sam’s house. He received monthly reports on her whereabouts and activities, but no pictures were placed in the files he received, feeling it would keep him from becoming too attached. 

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Liz walked into her small office, early as usual; not that she had any clients. When Tom had gotten arrested a week ago the police detained and questioned her extensively before letting her go. Even though she was cleared of having any involvement in the smuggling ring, her business had taken a dive, and clients were scrambling to cancel assignments. Now that her face had been all over the local news she was instantly recognizable, for a private investigator that was bad for business.

Tom’s arrest was a nightmare. Not only had she found out her boyfriend was a criminal, he wasn’t even American. She couldn’t believe he was able to keep his criminal activities hidden from her. He was always so sweet and loving, nothing like what the police had described to her. They said he was mercenary in his dealings, he had even killed before. It had probably been for the best that she hadn’t seen him before he was transported out of the country.

She may be able to pull some strings and get back in at Quantico; go to work for the FBI as Sam had wanted for her. When he’d gotten sick, she had dropped out to care for him, and after he passed she had no desire to go back. But no, that life was still not for her.

A move would be necessary if she was going to have any hope of salvaging her small career. She rummaged through a drawer, took out a map of the United States and hung it on the wall. There were so many options that it was a little overwhelming and she had no idea where she would want to settle down. She had agonized over where to move two and a half years ago and that hadn’t turned out so well. This time chance would decide: she would close her eyes and point to a random spot on the map. 

When he poked his head into the small office her back was turned and she had yet to acknowledge him. He used the time to study her. She had long dark hair, a lean figure and a beautifully curved ass. She turned then and his chest tightened. She was beautiful, deep blue eyes, a pert nose and full red lips he longed to crush beneath his own. He mentally shook his head, he was not here for that. He had women around the globe to quench his lusts if that was his desire. She was so much more to him than a passing fling; she was his future.

He schooled his expression and smiled warmly in greeting as he stepped fully into the room and removed his fedora. “Lizzie, what a pleasure.”

She was instantly alert, the only person that had called her Lizzie was Sam. He acted like he knew her, but she was positive she had never met this man. 

He was handsome for an older gentlemen and dressed to the nines. He had on a very expensive looking light grey three piece suit and a pale pink patterned tie; his brown Italian leather shoes alone probably cost more than the rent on her apartment. 

She crossed her arms in front of her and widened her stance to present a professional and firm demeanor. “My name is Liz, but to you I’m Ms. Scott.”

He chuckled lightly as he sat himself in a chair in front of her desk. He crossed his legs and placed his fedora in his lap and considered her for a moment, amusement evident in his features before his face became a mask and he spoke to her again. “Did you make it home for your father’s funeral?”

He seemed to know an awful lot about her. If he was asking about her father, then maybe that’s how he knew about her, he was friends with her father. “Did you know my father?” 

When he failed to answer and continue to regard her, she reached across the desk and extended her hand for him to shake. “I’m sorry, Mr… ?”

He stood and took her hand in his and brought her knuckles to his lips for a brief kiss, his eyes never leaving hers. “Reddington.”

That name sounded very familiar, she rolled it around in her head briefly and then it hit her. She had heard the name on the news last month. It was reported that the notorious criminal Raymond Reddington had been hiding somewhere in the U.S. The FBI was offering a substantial reward for information leading to his arrest. 

Was this somehow connected to Tom? She yanked her hand from his. “You're a wanted criminal; you should leave before I call the police.”

“Is turning me in what you really want, Lizzie?” He watched her closely, looking for the answer in her eyes. 

“Or would you listen to my proposition? I have a job for you and it pays extremely well.” She looked at him like he wanted her to start robbing banks with him a la Bonnie and Clyde, and he chuckled. “Nothing illegal I assure you.”

He was fascinated watching her. A myriad of emotions were playing over her beautiful face. He tried to imagine what she was thinking. Her curiosity about the job was holding her immobile, but she was obviously trying to will her legs to move to safety. He hoped that she stayed; he wanted more than anything to get to know her and find out how her mind worked.

She was drawn to him despite his illegal proclivities. She even had a strange sense of safety and that was making her angry. She must have a criminal magnet attached to her or something. “What job do you think could possibly posses me to work for a criminal?”

She was beautiful when she was angry. He paused and imagined her in a full fury: she would be glorious. He could only surmise that sex with her would be wild and filled with passion. He had to give himself another mental shake; because he was usually more in control. No woman had him this interested in many years.

He realized that he had been daydreaming too long when she picked up the phone. He spoke quickly before she dialed. “There is a child slavery ring in Ukraine that fronts as an orphanage.”

She placed the phone back on the base slowly. If there was anything that could get her to drop everything and go, it was children in need. The question was, could she trust him? “This seems a job better suited to their local law enforcement or even the FBI or CIA; what could I do?”

He rolled his eyes and looked heavenward briefly. “People put far too much faith in law enforcement. They are limited to a set of rules given to them by a corrupt system, no matter what country they are from.” 

“Is that why you became a criminal?” Maybe he went to the other side of the law because of the corruption and he knew how to work the system.

He smirked at her and ignored her question, keeping to the subject at hand. “They have been pulling children from the United States lately, garnering the attention of the FBI, but there is little hope of cutting off the head of this organization without a little ‘help’.”

“I don’t even speak… whatever language they speak in Ukraine.” She waved her hands wildly. She shouldn't even be encouraging this conversation. He wanted to take her out of the country for God’s sake.

His eyes twinkled as he tried to keep his silent laughter to himself. “It is a mixture of Ukrainian and Russian, but Russian should get you by just fine.”

“I don’t speak Russian either. How is this supposed to work?” No man had made her want to smack him so soon after meeting before; she really needed to keep her guard up.

He shrugged his shoulders. “It will come easier than you think.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Why couldn’t he just give her an answer that didn’t create more questions?

He smiled and kept his intense gaze locked on her as he asked. “Are you interested in helping me take this ring of slavers down, Lizzie?"

She didn't know why she trusted this man but she did, and wasn’t she just thinking she needed a change? This would definitely be a change. "Okay, let's do this. I am warning you though, I have excellent self defense skills so don't try anything funny."

"Splendid. This is gonna be a gas!" He motioned for her to proceed him out the door.

What, he wanted to leave now? There was so much to do. "Wait, I need to pack and make arrangements for my apartment and office."

He smiled reassuringly. "It will all be taken care of."

She hesitated for only a second. Why not, her life was in a shambles right now a little adventure might just be what the doctor ordered. She gave him a bright smile then walked out the door and stepped into her future.


	2. Chapter 2

He led her outside where a car was waiting for them. A large, dark skinned man got out and opened the door for her. She slid in while Red got in from the other side.

Once they were settled and the car in motion he looked over at her. She was looking straight ahead. He noticed she was nervous, though it would be strange if she were not. 

He turned to look out his window before speaking to her. “I’ve known Sam for thirty or so years.” He saw her gaze snap to him in the reflection of the window. 

He collected his thoughts before he spoke again, as he didn’t want to reveal too much to her, but he wanted to put her at ease with him, if only just a bit. “He was a good man… a good friend. His absence in this world is a profound loss.” He turned toward her with a soft smile. 

He had already witnessed Sam’s influence in her life. Soft, then hard, then soft again. She was strong, probably stronger than she knew. Just a week prior her boyfriend was arrested and charged with smuggling, and her business had been practically ruined. But instead of finding her a crying mess, she had been looking at a map trying to decide where to go next.

Thoughts of Sam threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She missed him so much, he was her rock and a guide when the storms of life became too rough. Her voice was thick with emotion when she spoke. “You weren’t at the funeral.”

He simply said “No,” and turned back to look out the window.

She sensed that he was finished with that topic so she pulled out her phone,intending to call a friend to let her know that she would be gone for a while. One minute she was dialing and the next he had grabbed it and threw the phone out the window. “What the hell, Mr. Reddington!”

An annoyed look crossed his features at being addressed so formally. “You may call me Raymond, Ray, or Red, no need to stand on formality.”

“You just threw my phone ou.. wait, Red? Why wou...oh, I get it.” She thought about it for a moment. “Since I don’t really know you yet, I think Red would be the best.” She kind of liked it actually, it fit him in some odd way.

She saw the slight shrug of his shoulders signaling he was fine with that. She sat back and got comfortable, he didn’t seem very interested in conversation. 

He said he had been friends with Sam for over thirty years, but Sam hadn’t mentioned him once. She would have remembered someone like this man seated next to her.

Did Sam cut him off when he became a criminal? Sam hadn’t been completely innocent though; she had learned her pickpocketing and lockpicking skills from him, and he even taught her to crack a safe once. She was curious to find out what had driven them apart.

She was broken out of her reverie when they arrived at the airfield. She had expected to see a small private plane, like the cessna Sam had taken her on for her tenth birthday when they had flown over their home in Nebraska. Instead there was a gulfstream jet waiting for them. it was enormous. 

Red wore expensive suits, had a luxury car and a personal driver, he certainly seemed wealthy enough to own a jet. “Is this yours?”

One of his eyebrows raised in a seductive manner as he asked. “Impressed Lizzie?” 

“Money doesn’t impress me, it’s the person's character that I find attractive,” she quipped.

“I agree, most people fail to look beyond the surface.” His gaze locked with hers for a long moment before he exited the vehicle. 

She exhaled forlornly and whispered, "Looking beneath the surface didn't help with Tom." She got out when the driver opened the door for her.

Red was already at the jet embracing the pilot and talking about a recent trip the man had just gotten back from.

"You should have been there, the women were plentiful and the liquor flowed."

Red patted the man on the shoulder. "Maybe next time Josh."

He stepped aside and motioned for Liz to precede him onto the plane. 

When she stepped onto the jet, her breath caught. Such luxury was unexpected. She knew it would be nicer than a regular commercial plane but this was beyond anything should would have thought of.

There were two plush chairs facing each other with a table between them, and a round bench seat with table in front of it behind the two chairs on one side of the aircraft, for meetings or drinks she supposed, and three more chairs on the opposite side. 

Just beyond was a large sitting room. There was a long couch to one side with a coffee table the same length in front of it. More chairs scattered about and a bookshelf and mini bar.

She was debating whether or not to open the door she could see at the other end of the plane when she felt him standing just a little too close behind her. He smelled amazing, like leather and sandalwood. She had to war against her natural instinct to inhale deeply. 

He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "There is a bedroom and full bathroom behind the door."

She swallowed audibly and turned to face him which brought her face very close to his. Flustered now, she sounded weak when she spoke. "I'm not tired or anything right now." 

His body pressed against hers briefly as he walked past her. His eyes never leaving hers was disconcerting until she saw the twinkle of amusement flash in his. Was he laughing at her? Gah, arrogant bastard. 

She stalked to the bookshelf and pulled the first book she came into contact with and found a chair to get comfortable for the long flight ahead. 

Before she had even read the first paragraph, he stood before her and snatched the book from her hands. “No time for that, Lizzie, you have work to do.”

That was it, now was the time to draw a line. She didn’t want him thinking she would take that kind of treatment lying down. She grabbed the book back from him. “First my phone and now the book! Did no one ever teach you that it’s rude to grab things out of people’s hands?”

He chewed on the inside of his lip, he wasn’t used to his actions being questioned. He needed her cooperative though, so he would take care to make sure her feelings were considered. He schooled his expression into a mask of contriteness.“Forgive me. Shall we try that again?”

She looked at him warily for a moment looking for any signs he was mocking her, but all she saw was his apology. “Yeah, okay. Just don’t let it happen again.”

He huffed a small laugh and motioned her to one of the chairs. “We should strap in for take off and then we can adjourn to the couch to start your lessons and brief you on what to expect when we arrive.”

She replaced the book on the shelf] and they each took a seat just as the pilot came over the intercom letting them know they were about to take off. 

Once they were in the air, they moved to the couch and he pressed a small indent in the coffee table and a laptop computer popped up. He winked at her wide eyed expression on seeing the hidden compartment before he turned back and powered the machine on. 

The driver stepped out of the cockpit and poured Red a scotch. When he handed it to Red he turned to Liz. “Would you care for anything Elizabeth?”

Red could see that his friends presence had startled her. “Lizzie, this is Dembe, he is my bodyguard.”

She looked at him with skepticism. “Driver, butler, and bodyguard?” she asked sarcastically. 

“He likes to stay close, always afraid I’m going to get myself into trouble.” He leaned back and laid his arm along the back of the couch as he took a sip of his drink.

She eyed him a moment longer noticing the teasing glint in his eyes before turning back to Dembe. “Nice to meet you. Does he get into trouble a lot?”

Dembe shrugged and with a tip of his head to Liz he went back to the cockpit. She looked back at Red silently asking him to answer the question. She needed to know what to expect while she was with him. Having trouble knocking on the door constantly wasn’t something she hadn't thought about, though she should have considering he was a criminal.

Red could see she was worried he was sending her headfirst into trouble, which he was, but she would be protected. He stretched his fingers out enough to touch her shoulder. His gaze penetrating and his expression and tone deadly serious when he spoke. “Don’t worry, Lizzie, you have me, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

There it was again, the feeling of being safe and protected. How was this possible? She hardly knew him, but she also knew without a doubt that he was serious about not letting anything happen to her. She took a deep breath letting his scent fill her with peace and calm. “Okay, let’s get started, shall we?”

She worked steadily with the language program, he was right, this was not as difficult as she thought. “I had no idea how quickly a person could learn a new language, I feel like I have been speaking this for years and it’s only been a few hours.”

He stopped with his glass mid way to his lips and looked at her over the rim. “Eto ne pervyy raz.”

“Not my first time? I don’t understand, I’ve never been to Russia or taken any classes to learn the language.” She was beginning to think he had mistaken her for someone else, but he had talked about Sam.

He stood then and again avoided her question. He had said too much already. She would undoubtedly learn more eventually, but right now the less she knew the better. “You must be hungry Lizzie, I’ll go whip us up something and rejoin you in a bit.”

She watched him walk away. How could he say something like that and then just walk away? He probably knew it would make her itch with curiosity, frustrating man. Well she was a private investigator and she was good, she would find answers whether he gave them to her or not… somehow.

She worked on the language program for the almost the entire flight, stopping briefly to eat the most delicious herb crusted lamb chops with roasted potatoes and broccoli. Apparently there was even a small kitchen and he knew how to cook. He was a fascinating man; she couldn’t help but hope that maybe when this job was done, that there would be an excuse to stay in his orbit and really get to know him.


	3. Chapter 3

Once dinner had been cleared away he sat next to her. He wasn’t sure how she would react to his plan for their cover, but it would be the easiest way to keep her close. He reached over and gently grasped the headphones on her ears, silently asking if it was okay and at her nod removed them and placed them next to her.

He reached behind him and grabbed a manila envelope which he tossed on the table in front of her. “Our cover will be as husband and wife during our time here, that way we can stay close without raising any alarms.”

She froze and stared at him for a long moment. They just met and now he wanted to pretend to be married. Would they have to kiss? Her eyes went immediately to his mouth at the thought. She ran her tongue over her lips imagining what his would feel like over hers… His chuckle woke her from her musings, her face flamed at his knowing look. 

“Umm, yeah. Okay, I can see the merit in that.” She hoped she didn’t sound as addled as she felt.

“Why don’t you have a look at your new identity and memorize as many of the details as you can. We will be landing in about an hour.” He gestured to the envelope and waited for her to pick it up before going to the bar and pouring himself another glass of scotch.

After about 30 minutes she felt she had a handle on most of what was in there. Richard and Emily Nolan. “Married three years, no children. You are a businessman who travels for his work. I am looking for something small to keep me busy.”

“Good, you seem to have the basics down, we can work on the finer details as the days progress.” He set his glass on the table and motioned to the door to the bedroom. “There is a shower and tub in the bathroom, and fresh clothes for you to change into before we land.”

She was a little shocked. How could there be clothes for her when they came right from the office to the jet? Unless they were someone else’s and she would just be borrowing them. “I prefer to wear my own clothes, your girlfriend can keep hers.”

He laughed, a real genuine laugh. He never stayed with anyone long enough for them to have clothes at any of his places, let alone his jet. He schooled his expression and leaned into her space to whisper. “There is no reason to be jealous Lizzie, those clothes were bought especially for you.”

She looked for the truth in his eyes. She was now dying to know if he had a girlfriend or not. She leaned a little closer to him, their noses almost touching and whispered back, “And what does your girlfriend think about you buying clothes for other women?”

His tongue swirled in his mouth, an action he couldn’t stop with her so close. He reached up and traced her bottom lip with his finger, his eyes dancing with equal desire and amusement. “I don’t have a girlfriend, Lizzie, though it seems you’re interested in the position.”

She needed to be on her toes around this man. She could sense that if she gave into him to easily he would run right over her, and she was beginning to think she might want more than a short fling. “My, aren’t we presumptuous.”

She leaned back and smirked at the surprise on his face; he was obviously used to getting his way and rather quickly. Well if he wanted her, he would have to work for it. “I’ll just go get ready for when we land.” 

She walked away as seductively as she could, glancing back at him over her shoulder before she shut the door. He was definitely into her: by the look of it he was undressing her in his mind. Good, maybe she could get the upper hand for once.

He stared at the door for a while after she closed it. He needed to be careful, she was pure and full of light. His soul was stained with too much blood, he didn’t want to taint her with his darkness. He didn’t deserve happiness; he knew that. But now that he’d had a chance to meet her, he found himself wanting it… with her.  
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The apartment he had for them was in the center of a bustling city, the streets alive with activity. They were currently walking to the market for supplies. How the number four on the FBI’s most wanted list avoided capture for so long she had no idea. “Aren’t you afraid of being spotted with so many people around?”

He tilted his head and smiled at her, his brows rising in amusement and a smile playing on his lips. “Father Brown is a little detective series created by G.K. Chesterton. And in one one of the stories, he asks, ‘Where does a wise man hide a leaf?’ “

She was mesmerized by his voice: it was decidedly sexy, especially when she could watch his lips as he spoke… she gave herself a mental shake and coughed to hopefully cover up her mental wanderings, but she could see from his look that it did not. “Umm, wh-where would he hide one?”

“In the forest.” He decided not to call attention to the way she watched his lips , but filed it away for later. “I have been hiding in plain sight for the past 20 years. Blending in with the locals and their customs is key.”

She smiled up at him, pleased that he shared at least a little snippet of his life. Hopefully she would be able to pull more from him. He was still mostly a mystery to her. “From what was available to read on the jet, you seem to read some pretty obscure stuff. Where do you find it all? I've never heard of most of it.”

“Oh, here and there. I travel often, whether for business or staying ahead of whatever letter agency may currently have me in their sights.” He shrugged, not sure of how much of his life on the run to reveal. If she were caught with him; the less she knew the better.

As they neared the market Liz was amazed at how large it was. She had expected a few stalls set up with local produce and such, but there was so much more. “Well this is certainly more than I had imagined.”

“The main market is modest, the largest hall being given over to butchers. You can watch the craftsmen in action as they turn a carcass into table cuts.”

She shivered in disgust, just the thought made her ill. It’s a wonder she wasn’t a vegetarian. “Eww, no thank you, I would rather not watch the process, too messy.”

He chuckled at her antics. “This entrance hall is the fish market; fresh, salted, smoked, shellfish, crab, lobster; it’s all here.”

He pointed to a spot just off to their right. “Surrounding the main produce market are boutique stalls and behind it is a street of cheap clothing stalls.”

She gave him a once over starting at his toes and working her way up, he was remarkably still during her perusal,she noted. “I have a feeling you don’t shop for your clothes there.”

It was his turn to look disgusted. “Goodness no, although, I try to have a few things on hand to blend in more thoroughly when the need arises. We should check it out.”

The shopping done, they unpacked and freshened up. He was taking her out and told her to dress up. He also wanted to take her by the ‘orphanage’ so she could get a look at the place before she went by tomorrow to inquire about the position that was available.

The building was non-descript, blending in seamlessly with the others around it, a small sign by the door marking it as an orphanage. One would not know just passing by the ominous secret behind those doors. She hoped she was able to get the position, because she wanted nothing more than to put these barbarians out of business.

“Now that we’ve taken a quick drive by what will hopefully be your new place of employment, let’s get dinner. "

"Dinner sounds good, I'm starving." A dinner date. She was excited to spend the time with him. Maybe he would be more open to questions with distractions around.

He took her to a an exclusive nightclub at one of the upscale resorts with a view of the Black Sea. "I would never have guessed you for a nightclub kind of guy."

"I'm not, usually, but I need to meet a contact. There is a wonderful restaurant here... and it is dinner time." 

She was slightly disappointed: he’d said he was taking her out, and she had assumed it was a date. She didn't think a meeting with a contact qualified. "I'll let you do all the talking. I wasn't expecting to have to pretend to be a wife just yet."

"Fair enough." He took her by the hand and led her to the front of the line, where the bouncer gave him a quick nod in greeting and let them pass.

The club was packed, so she kept her hand tightly in his as they wound their way through the throng of people to a private room where his contact was already waiting. Red opened his arms and enveloped the man in a fierce bear hug. “Jason, it’s good to see you. What’s it been, four years?”

“Yeah, about that. What have you been up to and who is this beauty you have with you?” He stepped away from Red and eyed Liz lasciviously. He stepped in and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek. 

She glanced at Red for a clue as to how she should react and caught his murderous glare at the other man, but he quickly replaced it with false joviality. “Hands off this one, Jason. This is my wife,Emily. Emily, this lecherous bastard is Jason Halstead.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Halstead.” She was starting to feel uncomfortable with how this man was staring at her, so she latched on to Red’s arm and pressed herself against him. 

“Married?” Jason exclaimed. “Richard, you're married? I don’t believe it.”

“Believe it, my friend. She captured my heart and I couldn’t imagine life without her.” He freed his arm and put it around her waist to pull her in close.

Dinner was torture for Liz. Red kept trying to steer the conversation towards business and Jason kept wanting to know about them as a couple. She could feel Red tense beside her but wasn’t sure she could or should do anything other than keep as close to him as possible and act like he was the only man in the room. After dinner, she excused herself to visit the ladies room.

When she returned twenty minutes later, Red was alone and stood as soon as he saw her. “Perfect timing, sweetheart. I got the information I needed as soon as he didn’t have you to be distracted by. ”

“If I had know I was hindering your meeting, I would have excused myself earlier. “ She worried that he would be irritated by the fact she didn’t excuse herself before, but he didn’t seem upset at all and was actually in a very good mood.

“Nonsense, I needed you to beguile Jason in order to get what I needed. You were perfect.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You were hanging all over me and that had him off guard, he is used to women falling all over him.”

When they got back to the apartment, Red excused himself to make a few business calls. She had a big day tomorrow, so she decided to go ahead and get some rest. She had the room to herself, since Red said he would sleep in the guest room even though both their things were in the main bedroom for appearances. She had secretly hoped they would be sharing the bed, but this arrangement was probably for the best.


	4. Chapter 4

When Liz was escorted into a small office as she arrived for her ‘interview’ the next afternoon, she was told to have a seat and someone would be with her shortly. Everything seemed to be above board. There were certificates and licenses on the walls. Pictures that appeared to be children with their newly adoptive parents and the standard upstanding citizens. The cover they had was certainly on point. Would she be able to chip away at the exterior and be able to see what was underneath? Hopefully she didn’t get herself killed while investigating.

The door opened and a casually dressed man entered. He looked to be in his mid forties, tall, thin and seemingly easy mannered. She went to stand but he waved her off. 

“No, no need to get up. I am Miles Rudenko.” He extended his hand and shook hers with a warm smile. 

She was supposed to be put at ease by his demeanor, which only made her more tense. She knew what these people were underneath the shiny facade. She forced herself to unclench and returned his greeting warmly. “Emily Nolan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

He sat behind his desk and flipped through a thin file. “No problem. You have just arrived in the city, yes?”

“Yes, my husband will be doing business here for the next six months or so and he wanted me with him, but I can’t sit at home and while away the hours when he is working.” She tried to give off the air of a rich, bored housewife. Never having been either she would just have to wing it.

He looked surprised. “Oh, so you won’t be here permanently?”

“No, I hope that won’t be a problem. When I saw an orphanage was looking for someone I had to jump at the chance to help in any way I could.”

His gaze had sharpened upon hearing she would not be in town long enough to put down roots. Hopefully that meant they wouldn’t be as careful about letting things slip around her, thinking she would be leaving soon.

“That will be fine. Just to be clear this is a volunteer position, not paid.” He handed her a sheet of paper across the desk listing the job details.

“Yes, of course. Strictly on volunteer basis.” The paper stated that she needed to get the children ready for inspection and possible adoption and the various duties involved. It made her stomach crawl to think she would be making these kids presentable for child slavers.

“Would you be opposed to starting today? Tomorrow will be a busy day and our other stylist has just… quit.” He smiled but the warmth she sensed he was trying to convey before was gone.  
She knew Red would be irritated if she didn’t come straight back, but saying no might be suspicious after just saying she was so excited to be helping at an orphanage. “That would be wonderful. I will have to let my driver know, though,or he will start to worry.”

“Of course.” He rose and opened the door for her.

Dembe got out to open the car door when he saw Liz descend the steps, but she put her hand up to stop him. “Actually, I am going to be starting today so you will need to come back in… “

She turned back towards Miles who supplied. “In about three hours.”

Turning back to Red’s imposing bodyguard she said. “I’ll call when I'm ready.”

Dembe looked up at the steps to Miles, then back at Liz. “Your husband will not be pleased. He expected you home within the hour.”

“Well tell him he will have to do without me for a bit longer.” 

She turned and walked back up the steps and into the building. 

When Liz got home later that evening she discovered that having Raymond Reddington agitated with you was not a pleasant experience.

His glass of scotch was halfway to his mouth when he noticed her stride in like she hadn't a care in the world. “Nice of you to join us, Lizzie.”

He lowered his glass and took her in with a slow glance from head to toe. What should have been a seductive glance turned into a sinister leer.

His gaze made her spine tingle, not in sexual awareness, but with fear. This was the Concierge of Crime: a very powerful criminal and now she was getting a taste of that power. She couldn’t help but imagine all the ways he had probably killed people for the slightest offence.

She swallowed almost audibly, trying not to let her fear show. “Dembe was supposed to let you know that I was starting today.”

He turned to look out the window and rubbed his palm over the back of his head to collect himself before turning back to her and speaking in a clipped tone. “You said three hours, it’s been six.”

“They wanted to make sure I got in a full day of training since tomorrow will be a busy day and they won’t have time to be with me as much.” She didn’t know what to do, how to get him out of this mood or if she should say she was sorry.  
Hi voice was deadly, sounding like breaking glass rather than the gravely tone he had used with her on the plane. “Never, ever deviate from a plan once we have agreed upon it. Once you start improvising, there are too many variables and I cannot guarantee your safety.” 

He had started a predatory walk towards her as he began talking. He came to a stop directly in front of her and was now firmly ensconced in her personal space. She could feel the power radiating off of him, it was intimidating. 

“I wasn’t sure how to say no without it looking suspicious.” Her mouth was suddenly dry and she felt on the verge of tears.

“Dembe gave you an ‘out’ when he told you I would not be pleased with you staying.” The muscles in his cheeks twitched a few times in an effort to control his rage.

She licked her dry lips. There was nothing more she could say. Better to let him get out what he needed to say rather than fuel the fire.

His gaze flicked to her lips and the anger he felt turned instantly to sexual desire. He needed to retreat and calm down before he took her right there. He wouldn’t even care if Dembe stayed to watch. Would she deny him or would she cling to him? Before his thoughts could continue, he turned, stalked to his room, and slammed the door behind him.

She stood there for what seemed like an eternity letting her tears silently fall, questioning if she should have blindly followed a man such as Raymond Reddington until she felt a large hand give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “He was concerned for your safety Elizabeth; it took all I had to keep him from tearing that building apart brick by brick searching for you.”

She was shaking with nerves.“Should I go talk to him? I don’t think I can get through the night, let alone another day in that place if he is mad at me.”

“If you’d like, but tread carefully, he is very angry.” She looked terrified so he reassured her, “He would never hurt you physically, but I know that sometimes words can hurt too.”

She nodded and took a deep breath before heading down the hall to his room. She stood outside his door straining to hear anything coming from within, but was met with silence. She hesitantly lifted her hand and knocked on the door.

“Go to bed, Ms. Scott,” came the curt reply through the door.

She started to leave, but she turned back to the door. Her stomach was in knots and she would not be able to sleep if they didn’t resolve this. She raised her voice slightly to make sure he heard her through the door. “There is no way I will be able to sleep knowing that you’re upset with me.”  
She could hear his sigh through the door before he growled, “Enter.” 

He was staring out at the city below with his hands in his pockets. He spoke to her without turning around. “They might have done anything with you and there would have been very little I could do about it.”

She felt like they were on opposite sides of the planet even though only a few feet separated them. She had no idea how to repair the breach, the only thing she could think to do was apologize.

She came to stand behind him and placed her hand on his back and traced a path up to his shoulder, he flinched but didn’t move to escape her touch. “I’m sorry that I worried you, it won’t happen again.”

He withdrew his hands from his pockets and leaned one against the frame, the other coming up to stroke his face before he spoke. “I have a feeling this is only the beginning, Lizzie.”

She bristled with anger. If she was such a bother he could always get some other P.I. to help him. She stepped away from him and she could see that he was watching her through the reflection of the glass. At least she had his attention.

She blew out a breath to calm down, since she had no idea how he would react if she started yelling at him. “There are other P.I.’s out there for you to choose from if I am not performing to your standards.”

He glanced at her reflection in the window, again giving her a once over, this time with blatant sexual interest. “None of them are you.”

She was now more confused than ever. She wondered for the first time why it was her office he decided to stroll into, was there more to it than just having known her father? 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

He walked over to a side table next to the bed and poured himself a drink. He took a sip and then walked back to the window, not once turning his his eyes to her. It was difficult, but she needed to understand who was in charge here. “You should get some rest, I understand you have a busy day tomorrow.”

Did he just dismiss her? She closed her eyes and prayed for patience. It was probably better to wait until he was in a more pleasant mood to discuss what he meant. She opened her mouth to say goodnight, then thought better of it. He didn’t deserve a good night since he was being such an ass. 

She left him standing there and went to her own room. The urge to slam the door so tempting, but with some effort she was able to control herself.


	5. Chapter 5

When she woke the next morning both Red and Dembe had already left. Red was probably still upset with her. In the kitchen there was a note written in red ink. ‘Early business meeting, someone will be by to take you to work - R.’ 

She ate a bowl of yogurt with some fruit and then showered and got ready for her first day with the children. Just as she was checking herself in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, there was a knock at the door.

She opened the door to a smartly dressed man, though not in the same league as Red. The man straightened his tie before speaking, like he was interviewing for a job. “My name is Newton. Mr. Nolan has asked me to take you to work this morning.”

She rolled her eyes. Why she couldn’t take a taxi escaped her. This man was no Dembe, so he was obviously not here for protection. The only other explanation would be spy. Red wanted to know her every move and was going to use Newton to report on her whereabouts. She had half a mind to dismiss the new driver and take a taxi anyway just to see what Red would do, but after experiencing his displeasure last night, she really wasn’t looking forward to that again so soon.

When she arrived at the orphanage she was brought to a large room that would serve as a space to get the kids ready. There was a huge bathing tub in one corner and a large rolling wardrobe rack on the side with clothing for boys and girls. There were various pairs of shoes in all different sizes underneath the rack and a small table with socks and underwear to the side. On the other side of the room was a barbers chair and a table with brushes, combs, a hair dryer, curling iron and in a wide spectrum of colors, shapes and styles.

She had expected the older woman, who was dressed like a school marm from a bad B movie, to leave as soon as she had been escorted in, but she made herself comfortable with a book in a corner saying simply, “Talk only as much as needed, clean them and send them on.” 

Great, so much for questioning the kids.

The first child was ushered in less than five minutes after her arrival. She had to stifle a cry before it escaped her throat. The little girl couldn’t have been more than seven years old, and she looked half starved and frightened beyond belief. She smelled horribly and her clothing, if you could call what she had on clothes, were more like rags that hung off her small frame. Her hair was a greasy, haphazard mess and sticking to her face.

Liz got ahold of herself and tried to present a brave face to make the child feel more at ease. She asked the girl to step over to the tub, but getting no response she gently reached for her hand. The girl recoiled like she had been struck, whimpering and trying to curl in on herself.

Liz squatted before the girl and waited until she could capture her gaze before softly speaking. Liz’s Russian was sounding more and more like her native tongue the more she used it. The ease at which she picked up the language still surprised her. “It’s ok, sweetie, I am just going to wash you up and get you dressed in some clean clothes. Doesn’t that sound good?”

The girl watched her warily, but nodded and allowed Liz to take her hand and lead her to the tub. Liz talked to her softly while undressing her for the tub, there were so many bruises on her and it took all Liz had not to find a gun and shoot every adult in the building. The girl was shaking, and kept darting glances to the dragon lady in the corner.

While she bathed the girl and washed her hair Liz hummed a soothing tune she remembered hearing from her father when she was scared. Once the bath was done, and the girl was dry Liz chose a frilly little blue dress and black mary janes. She chose her underthings and helped get the girl dressed. Hair came next, she was as gentle as she could be, but there were a lot of tangles. They managed to comb through without too much trouble thankfully, and Liz chose a pretty blue bow to pin the hair on top while letting the rest hang down her back.

As soon as she was done, the horrible lady in the corner roughly grabbed the girl’s hand and pushed her into the next room. Liz had no time to take issue with her though, as another child was quickly sent in. The day was passing quickly: as soon as one child was done, another entered. There had been at least fifteen children already, and Liz had stopped counting after nine. 

After the last child was cleaned and dressed Liz stretched her tired back and realized she was starving. She hadn’t eaten all day. Dragon Lady came back into the room. While practically dragging Liz out, she said curtly, “Time for you to go. There will be another round tomorrow, and Mr. Rudenko will talk to you then regarding supervision of the children during the showing.”

When she got back to the apartment she wanted to take a long hot bath and go straight to bed. She didn’t even want to think of eating. But those thoughts flew out of her head the minute she saw Red. 

Red rose from his chair when he heard the door, wanting to see if she had learned anything. “How was your day, Li… “ He grunted as he was abruptly cut off and stumbled back a few steps as she landed full force against his chest, her arms wrapped securely around his neck. He returned the embrace and held her tightly while she sobbed, rubbing soothing strokes up and down her back and placing kisses in her hair.

Dembe had poked his head around the corner when he heard Liz’s sobs. But seeing that she was safely in his brother’s arms he retreated back to the kitchen. Raymond didn’t do tears: usually when the women he ‘entertained’ resorted to tears, he sent them packing. But Elizabeth was different; he knew from the moment Raymond had told him of his plan that she meant far more to him than simple entertainment. 

Liz eventually quieted, but Red continued to hold her until she pulled back a little. He took a handkerchief out of his back pocket and handed it to her. He went to sit on the sofa while she dried her eyes and blew her nose.

She went to the bathroom and washed the smeared makeup off her face and then went and changed into a tank top and sleep shorts before going back out to talk to Red. She grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and sat close enough so she could cuddle into his side. She needed comfort right now; she would worry about what he thought about her sudden clinginess later. Right now she needed his solid strength to be able to relay the details of her day.

Red held her close to his side as she told him of the horrible condition the children were brought to her in. She wasn’t able to question them because they had someone watching her the entire time. He figured that may be the case, but hoped she would be able to explore a little, maybe in the days ahead. But that would have to wait, he didn’t want her taking any risks right now. 

When she had reached the end of her tale, he kissed the top of her head. He really didn’t want to tell her his news now, but it couldn't be helped. “Sweetheart, I need to leave tomorrow for a couple of days.”

She stiffened beside him. He couldn’t leave, not now, not when she knew how these animals were treating the kids. This had been cathartic for her, and she would be able to face tomorrow now because he had allowed her this. She didn’t know if she could do this without him.

He squeezed her into his side briefly. “If I could put this off, I would. But this matter requires my presence and the deal will be over if I don’t show up personally.”

“I don’t know if I can do this alone.” She hated sounding weak and frightened, but she couldn’t help it; these people were monsters.

“You can, but I will make a call and have someone I trust implicitly come here and stay with you while I’m gone.”

She felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. She was a fully capable woman, she could handle this. “How long will you be gone?”

“Two days at the most if things go well.” He was stroking her arm, doing his best to soothe her.

He stood and waited for her to join him before leading the way into the kitchen. “Let’s get you fed and we can have a few glasses of wine before bed to help calm your nerves.”

“Will you be gone before I wake up again?” She hoped he would be there, seeing him tomorrow would give her the boost she needed to get through the day.

“I will stay long enough to say goodbye, okay?”

He ate with her and they cuddled on the couch afterwards and had a few glasses of wine. Red regaled her with colorful stories of his adventures and had her laughing and feeling much lighter by the time she was ready for her bed.

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for this, I know I was a basket case when I got back. I guess I didn’t expect the children to be so poorly taken care of.”

“It was my pleasure Lizzie. I am sorry you had to see those kids like that, but hopefully soon we will be able to liberate them.” He stood and pulled her up with him. “Time for bed, we both have a full day tomorrow.”

He led her by the hand down the hall to her room. When she hesitated at the door, he raised his hand and brushed the hair back from her face, letting his hand linger for a moment. He was gazing at her so intently and when he leaned forward the slightest bit, she thought he was going to kiss her, but he dropped his hand and bit his cheek before he bade her goodnight and disappeared behind his own door.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day she woke early not wanting to miss Red, even though he said he wouldn't leave before saying goodbye. She showered and dressed quickly before heading to the kitchen. Red was setting out three plates on the table while Dembe--who Liz had begun to think of a jack of all trades rather than simply a bodyguard--was finishing cooking their breakfast.

Red turned when he heard her enter. “Impeccable timing; Dembe is just about done with his famous frittata made with ham and roasted peppers, it’s delicious.”

He motioned her to the table and pulled a chair out for her to sit. Once she was seated, he sat next to her. 

She shouldn’t be surprised that the man cooked. “Is there anything you can’t do, Dembe?”

Without missing a beat he replied, “Moonwalk.” He placed the food on their plates and awkwardly shuffled backward in an attempt to showcase his lack of talent.

She giggled like a school girl. Dembe seemed as fascinating as his employer. She looked over to see what Red thought of his bodyguard’s behavior, but he just smiled and took a bite of frittata, moaning in pleasure at the taste.

She realized she was staring at him while he ate when he scooped up a bite on his fork and offered it to her. “You really should try it, Lizzie, it’s fantastic.”

She opened her mouth and took the proffered bite, watching him watch her the whole time. Making a sound of pleasure of her own, “Oh my God, you’re right. This is so good, Dembe.”

The three ate and chatted over breakfast, Dembe sharing stories of his adventures with Red. There was a special bond between the two men, almost like brothers.

As soon as breakfast was finished and the dishes were placed in the dishwasher, Red put on his suit coat and headed to the front room. Lizzie followed close behind. She was still nervous about him leaving. But she wanted to show him she was strong enough to do this on her own, she didn’t want him to think she was weak.

Red took his coat from the hook on the wall. “I will see you in a few days. My associate, Mr. Kaplan, will be here by the time you get back from the orphanage.” Red placed his fedora on his head and started to open the door.

Liz grabbed the sleeve of his jacket to stop him and looked up at him through her lashes. She licked her lips nervously before asking, "Aren't you going to kiss me goodbye? "

His head tilted to the side and a soft smile graced his lips briefly. “You should be kissed often and by someone who knows how.”

Oh dear, he was quoting Gone with the Wind. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to be romantic or if he was teasing her, but she went with it. “And I suppose you think you’re the proper person?” 

“I might be,” He watched her lips for a moment before opening the door, adding “Stay out of trouble, Lizzie.” 

He left before she could form an appropriate response, damn the man.

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Her day at the orphanage was spent in the same way as the day before. There must be at least forty children in all that she had gotten ready for inspection or ‘adoption’ or whatever they wanted to call it. 

Miles Rudenko came to see her before she left for the day. 

“Excellent work. All the children look wonderful, they should have no problems finding good homes.”

His smile was pleasant still, but Liz could see the oily undertones in it. She wanted to vomit, on him preferably. She needed to get some kind of information and decided to prod gently. “The children were so filthy, surely you don’t keep them here like that?”

His eyes narrowed briefly, but then he smiled that horrid smile she was beginning to loathe. “Of course not. The Ukrainian authorities intercepted a transport of young children and they were brought here after their parents could not be located.”

He motioned for the door and let her precede him out. He continued to talk as they walked outside. “Sadly, most of these children come from poor families who sold the poor souls because they couldn't afford to keep them, so really this is much better.”

She couldn’t come up with a response that didn’t involve her hands around his neck, so she changed the subject. “Drag… err, Ms. Kushnir said you needed to speak with me about tomorrow.”

“Ahh, yes. tomorrow. I will need you to remain in the viewing area and help Ms. Kushnir keep the children in line.”

“In line?” She didn’t like the sound of that.

“If the children become unruly, you will have a small device when pushed it will send a light shock.”

“You want me to shock them?” She was incredulous. He couldn’t be serious.

He gave her a patronizing look. “Don’t worry, it’s a device similar to a dog collar, the shock will not hurt them.”

If rage was a color, she was seeing it. She needed to get out of here before she did something to jeopardize herself or the case. She took a breath and plastered a smile on her face. “Oh, I see. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

It took all of her control to walk down the steps, to Newton and the waiting car. She had never killed anyone before, but here she was having trouble counting how many times in the last two days she had contemplated murder.

 

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She let herself into the apartment and came to a sudden stop when she saw an older woman sitting in Red’s chair drinking a cup of tea. The woman looked to be in her sixties, dressed in a seventies style wrap dress and sensible shoes. There was an air of formidable authority about her even though she was quietly sitting enjoying her cup of tea.

Confused, Liz asked, “Uh, hello? Can I help you with something?” 

“No dearie, I’m fine. I was sent her to help you.”

A small fear gripped Liz, hopefully she hadn’t tipped her hand earlier with her question to Miles. “By whom? The only person I am expecting is… “

The woman cut her off. “Mr Kaplan?”

“Yes, how did you know?” If this was Red’s idea of a joke she was going to have to set him straight.

Said matter of factly, “I’m Mr. Kaplan.”

Liz laughed awkwardly. “You can’t be serious.”

Mr. Kaplan eyed her assesingly for a moment before getting up to take her cup to the kitchen for a refill, saying over her shoulder, “You can call me Kate, if that is preferable.”

Liz followed in fascination, pleasantly surprised to find Mr. Kaplan was a woman. “Kate sounds nice. Thank you.”

“Raymond said you had some difficulty yesterday after you got back from the orphanage. Do you need to talk about it?” She motioned for Liz to sit at the table and brought her a cup of tea before sitting down across from her.

Liz blushed remembering her breakdown of the prior evening. “Understatement of the year. But it’s tomorrow that has me worried.”

“How so?” Kate sipped at her tea waiting for Liz to go on.

Liz visibly shuddered thinking about it. Her voice was shaking as she said, “They expect me to shock the children if they misbehave. I don’t think I can do it.”

Kate sat back in her chair and looked thoughtfully into her cup of tea. She looked up at Liz with a small smile. “I might have a solution to that.”

Liz’s head snapped up, hope springing up around her. “A solution?”

Kate slapped her hand on the table; getting up, she said. “I will need to make a phone call and then we can start on dinner.”

“That sounds good.” She thought she would feel ill at ease, but she felt comforted. Red had made a good choice of companion for her. 

They made a lasagna and put it in the oven, played a game of chess while it was cooking, talking about inconsequential things. After the game they started preparing the bread and salad. They hadn’t talked about what kind of work Kate did, so she decided to ask, “So, what kind of work do you do for Red?”

Kate looked up from chopping the vegetables, a strange look on her face. “You call him Red?”

“Yes, why is that odd?” She wondered why it would matter what she called him.

“His… business acquaintances call him Red, you aren’t business.” 

“What am I to him?” She stopped what she was doing, not wanting to miss a word, but the answer didn’t come.

Ignoring the last question, Kate supplied, “I’m a cleaner.”

Liz sighed, well not the answer she wanted, but an answer none the less. “You clean for him?” 

“After a fashion,” Kate supplied, noncommittally . 

This was going nowhere fast. She finished making the garlic butter and spread it over the bread.  
“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“Here, toss the salad while I get the lasagna out of the oven.” Kate handed the salad bowl to Liz and busied herself with getting the pan out of the oven. 

This woman was almost as frustrating as Red. Evasion 101 was probably a mandatory class before working for him. She was too tired to try to pry information out of her, and part of her sensed this woman would not be easily persuaded. 

While they were clearing the the table from dinner a knock sounded on the door. Liz tensed when she saw Kate walk over to a cabinet and pull out a gun that had been concealed in a box of pancake mix. Clever Red; he knew she hated pancakes and would never touch that box.

“You aren’t expecting anyone?”

Kate pulled the slide back checking to make sure a round was in the chamber. “I am, but it’s always better to play it safe. Stay here while I get the door.”

Kate returned to the kitchen a few minutes later after speaking in low tones for a few moments to whoever was at the door; she was holding a small black object, no larger than a dime in her hand. Kate held it up for Liz’s inspection.

“It looks like a blouse button.” Liz took the small device to look at it more closely.

Kate leveled a serious look at Liz. “This will disrupt any shocks meant for the children; but you will have to place it directly on the main power grid.”

Liz shook her head. There was no way she would be able to get away to look for a source. “They never leave me alone long enough to do anything; I’m even followed into the restroom.”

Kate smiled reassuringly at her. “The source will likely be in close proximity to the collars; you will just need to think of a small distraction and place this quickly.”

Liz took a steadying breath. “Okay, I can do this. Thank you.”

Kate indicated the full sink. “Let’s get these dishes cleaned and put away, then we can relax for a while.”


	7. Chapter 7

Liz arrived for work the next day and was met by Ms. Kushnir, A.K.A. Dragon Lady. “Here is your controller, follow me and I will show you how to use it.”

They walked down the hall into another wing of the building to a set of large double doors. Two heavily muscled men stood guard outside. One of the men opened the door as they approached, all the while eyeing Liz warily.

Liz almost stumbled over the threshold when she saw the room. She looked on in horror as she followed Ms. Kushnir down the length of the room. There were two rows of cages, one on top of the other, lining both sides of the room. It reminded Liz of the time she went to the local animal shelter to adopt a dog.

Each contained a chair where the child on display would sit for who knew how long. A doll sized bed and furniture adorned the space to give it the look of a child's room, there were even a few containing small clear bassinets for the infants.

Ms. Kushnir stopped at the end of the room and opened a utility box and flipped a switch. The sound of electricity being brought online whirred loudly in the area. This must be the power source.

The 'dragon lady' walked over to the nearest cage and put her controller into a small slot next to the door. “If a child is crying too much or yells to get out, just place the controller in the slot next to the appropriate cage and a jolt will be sent to the child's collar.”

Liz saw that the woman was watching her with a strange expression so she mentally gave herself a slap to get back in the game. She had to swallow before she could speak, her throat was so dry. “Won’t that make them cry more.”

The woman smiled the most evil smile Liz had ever seen.“The shock paralyzes them for a moment, sadly they usually only require a jolt or two before they get the idea.”

Miles strode into the room then. Ms. Kushnir walked over to him to whisper something in his ear; Liz used their inattention to quickly place the small device on the electricity grid.

“Ms. Kushnir, please open the gates and let the children in.” Miles walked back to the first cage and waited for the children to enter.

Liz turned as if in a slow motion nightmare as the gates were opened behind the cages and the children shuffled in, they each wore a small collar around their neck. A few of the children’s eyes widened in fear when they saw her. They probably thought she had betrayed them, just like every other adult had since they found themselves in this mess.

Miles walked along the rows of cages and inspected each child as he went. “Good, good. They still look well.” He turned to Liz and held both hands towards her. “You have done a wonderful job.”

Liz wanted to run shrieking at him and claw out his eyes, but she needed to remain strong, these kids needed her. She glued on a smile and tried to appear flattered by the compliment. Her face froze however, when none other than Jason Halstead walked into the room.

Jason’s stepped faltered when he saw her, turning to Miles he asked, “What’s Reddington’s latest fuck doing here?”

Miles looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean? This is Richard Nolan’s wife.”

Jason relished in the superiority of knowing something his friend did not. “Richard Nolan is an alias of Reddington’s. If she’s here, it’s because he sent her in.”

Miles turned to her with an ugly sneer. “Is this true, are you working for that bastard?”

Liz was suddenly terrified, there was no telling what these people were capable of doing to her... wasn’t Jason one of Red’s contacts?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jason walked up and smacked her hard across the face. He caught her roughly before she fell to the ground and pulled her against his chest. “I guess I’m going to finally get a taste of one of Red’s whore’s.”

He ground his mouth painfully against hers.

Liz tried to pull away, but the blow had weakened her. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning.  
Miles came over and squeezed Jason’s shoulder hard enough for him to yelp in pain and loosen his hold on Liz. “Put her in the back until our guests have gone, and then you can have your way with her.”

She used his inattention to try to run. She made it out the doors before being grabbed by one of the muscle men who spun her around his fist connecting with her jaw. Everything went black.

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Red was sharing a drink with his business associate that evening when Dembe interrupted him. “Raymond, you have a phone call.”

“Dembe, whatever it is, I’m sure you can take care of it.”

When his friend’s face remained impassive, Red knew something was horribly wrong.

“Excuse me, David, but it seems this one is urgent.” He walked into the other room with Dembe and shut the door.

Dembe silently handed him the phone, Red took it with shaking hands, knowing there could be nothing but bad news waiting for him. “Hello.”

It was Kate on the other end. “They have her Raymond, Newton went to pick her up and was turned away at the door, saying she had already left.”

He tried not to panic, he needed a clear head to see this through. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, trying not to take everything out on Kate. “Our people were stationed outside all the exits?”

“Yes, no one has exited the building since she walked in.”

“I’m on my way, gather the extraction team.” He glanced at Dembe knowing his friend would know to call the pilot.

“Should we wait for you?”

Red wanted to be there more than anything, but he knew every second counted and didn’t want her to spend one more minute there than necessary. He answered with a clipped, “no”, before hanging up the phone.

Red let himself out of the room, saying over his shoulder. “Let me make my excuses to David and we can be on our way.”

Once in the air, they got the satellite feed going so they could watch the raid on the monitor.

Dembe didn’t want to voice this fear, but knew Raymond needed to think of all the angles. “Do you think they would sell her at the auction with the children?”

“No, I don’t believe so. Those people are there to buy children, not adults.” But Red knew those same people had contacts who dealt in all flesh, no matter the age.

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Liz woke up in a space that was much like the ‘viewing’ room, except this one was cement from floor to ceiling and the rooms were nothing but concrete walls. The floors and walls were damp, they must have sprayed out the cages after the kids left.

The poor dears must live like animals, there was no bed, no bathroom, just stark grey walls with a wire cage door. No wonder they were so filthy when they first came to her.

She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious for or how much longer she would be left alone.

She crawled to the cage door trying to find a way to undo the lock. There was a small keyhole, but she didn’t have anything to pick it with.

She heard footsteps approaching and squeezed herself into the back wall of her cage hoping whoever it was would keep walking.

No such luck. Jason appeared in front of her cage. "Hey baby. How do you like your new accommodations?"

"Why are you doing this?" There had to be a reason he was betraying Red.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Red is a smug bastard who thinks he's above everyone else. It's time he got taken down a few pegs."

That couldn’t be all of it, Red was a powerful man, it certainly had to be beneficial to keep on his good side. "How is taking me going to affect him?"

"It probably won't, that old bastard has women on every continent waiting in line to fuck him. But for some reason he seems to favor you.” He licked his lips and looked hungrily at her.

She had no idea what to do, she was so scared. Her only hope was the thought that Newton would report to Red that she didn’t arrive outside for pick-up. What if he didn’t come for her? No, she wouldn’t think like that.

Liz suddenly realized what he wanted. “You think he will trade himself in exchange for me?”

He reached behind him under his suit jacket and brought out a device that looked like a cattle prod. Seeing the fear in her eyes he twirled it around a few times. “It’s a picana, used for torture, like it?”

He pulled a small key from his pocket and opened the lock. Swinging the doors open, he reached in and offered her his hand. When she hesitated he shoved the picana into her side. Intense pain immediately forced her body to seize up. When she could open her eyes again it was to his smug visage.

“You see what happens when you don’t play along?” He reached for her again and this time Liz took his hand and let him help her out of the cage.


	8. Chapter 8

Jason led her to the back of the room and pushed a shelf out the way to reveal a door. He shoved her inside and threatened her with the pican. “Go sit on the chair over there.”

Liz looked at the chair in question and then back at Jason, she could see the straps attached to the legs and arm rests and knew there would be no hope of escape if she were to sit down.

He growled out, “Now,” before jabbing her in the arm with the electric prod.

Her arm froze momentarily and the pain seared up into her shoulder. She swung at him with her right hand and connected with his jaw, but with the pain still radiating through her left arm, it wasn’t enough to stagger him. It earned her another prod in almost the same spot as the last one.

Liz staggered back, her legs colliding with the chair causing her to fall back. Jason followed her, leaning in close. He punctuated each word, menace lacing each one. “Do. Not. Move.”

He was going to have to kill her if he wanted her on that bed. She tried to push him away and get up only to receive a longer pulse from the prod then she had before in her side. Pain lanced through her entire body. She felt him strapping her hands to the chair.

He then tied her ankles into the straps. She felt like crying as her hope faded to panic. He had her now and there was nothing she could do about it: fighting would only earn her more jabs from his little prod.

His reached up and brushed the hair back from her face. She loved it when Red had done that to her, but Jason’s hands on her felt like pin pricks. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, until he brought the prod to her neck and leaned in and spoke to her. “Open your eyes honey, I just want to talk.”

Instead of complying-- knowing full well it would earn her another zap-- she gathered all her courage and outrage, and spat in his face. But the shock never came. Instead he lifted his hand and slapped her hard across the face; if she wasn’t bruised from the last strike her gave her she certainly was now. It would match the one on the other side the muscle man gave her.

He withdrew and she heard a noise from the other side of the room. She cautiously opened one eye to see him cross the room, rolling a cart towards her. On the bottom was a battery that was hooked to a generator and on top were two small paddles attached to the battery with thin cables.

He reached down to caress her hair in a sick gesture of comfort. “I was going to stick with the picana, but I think these will be a better motivator for you.”

He turned to the cart and picked up the paddles. “I just need to ask a few questions about Reddington’s business; you may know more than you realize. Think carefully before answering.”

He flipped a switch and the paddles came to life. “Why is he trying to buy off politicians in Ukraine?”

“I have no idea, he doesn’t share anything about his business with me.”

He made a tsking sound in disappointment. “Remember what I said about your answers.” He briefly set a paddle down on her right thigh.

It felt like an explosion went off inside her leg. She was taking in great heaving breaths now trying to hold back tears, her panic rising exponentially.

He decided to start with an easier question. “What does he want with the orphanage?”

“To put you sick bastards out of business.” She knew her answer would earn her another jolt from the paddle; but she couldn’t resist.

He set the other paddle down on her left thigh; resting there slightly longer than he had the first time. “So mouthy. I thought your boyfriend liked his women more malleable.”

Tears she could no longer hold back were streaming down her cheeks, but she refused to give in. “He is a gentlemen who knows how to treat a lady; though I’m sure the only women you can get are ladies of the night.”

In a pique of rage he took both paddles and set one on each side of her waist; smirking as her whole body convulsed with the pain. She was only vaguely aware of the door being flung open and a gunshot ringing out. 

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The Ukrainian government was wrought with corruption; so Red used some information he had on FBI Assistant Director Harold Cooper to procure assistance in the raid. This would gain Harold notoriety for taking down a child slavery ring that has eluded every lettered agency in several countries for a decade. Red’s only caveat… for his team to leave unhindered with the woman being held there.

They were still an hour from Ukraine. Red was pacing from one end of the plane to the other waiting for the raid to start. The FBI were taking their sweet time. If it was just his team, they would have swept the building, killing everyone, their only goal to save Lizzie.

Dembe answered the satellite phone when it rang. “Yes.” He listened for a moment before he hung up. “The raid is about to start.”

Red hurried over to the small screen on the laptop. “Is there anyway we can get this onto the larger television screen?”

Dembe got up and reached into an overhead compartment. “Of course, give me a second to attach the cable.” In a matter of moments the action was playing out on the larger surface.

Red’s eyes were glued to the screen, watching through the eyes of the lead member of his team via a small camera attached to his vest.

They were met with resistance at a set of double doors where two guards were standing sentry outside, but were taken out fairly quickly. When they broke into the room, the FBI took over placing the men and women under arrest and making arrangements to have the children taken to a safe location. Red’s team and two FBI agents however continued on, their only objective was Ms. Scott.

They searched the back room filled with the empty cages, inspecting each to make sure she was not in one of them. Red was becoming worried that she had already been taken out of the facility. The team was about to call off the search when they saw a door at the end of the room partially concealed by a large shelf.

They burst in just as the man was giving Lizzie a shock with electric paddles. She was strapped into a chair; her body convulsing. Red felt rage fly up to meet him when the man turned around: it was Jason Halstead. He had told Red he would be traveling in England for several weeks.

Upon seeing Liz, one of Red’s team shot the man holding her in the leg. The FBI agents with them rushed forward to place Jason Halstead under arrest. The team leader instructed one of his crew to get Ms. Scott and take her to Mr. Kaplan. Turning to the senior agent; he asked for a favor.  
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They finally touched down in Ukraine, and Red practically raced off the plane with his friend close behind. Dembe answered his ringing phone as they raced to the car. “Yes?” 

“It’s Kate.” Dembe handed the phone off to his boss and hopped into the driver's seat and Red dove into the back.

Red was hoping this was a confirmation call and not any bad news, he wasn’t sure he could handle that right now. “Do you have her?”

“I’m sending you an address. Go there.”

“Did you switch houses for Liz?” That was quick, even for Kate.

“We are in the process now, but this isn’t where she is.”

Red looked out the window, he wasn’t happy about a delay. “I want to see her as soon as possible.”

“We were able to successfully negotiate for Mr. Halstead.”

“We are on our way.” He hung up the phone. “Change of plans. The team were able to get Jason and they have him waiting for us. Kate will be sending the address in a moment along with the details of what was done to Elizabeth.” Just then the phone beeped, Red gave Dembe the address while he looked over the list of Lizzie’s injuries.

“He knew Liz was mine, why would he take her?” What benefit could Jason gain from hurting Liz? As far as that man knew she was the wife of Richard Nolan, a rich business man trying to buy off some politicians to get a foothold in the area.

Dembe caught Red’s eye in the mirror. “Could he have found out who you are?”

Red ran the back of his thumb over his forehead trying to fathom how that had happened. There was definitely a leak in his organization. “I don’t know, it’s possible.”

They pulled up outside of a warehouse, the team leader was waiting for them at the door. Red grasped his shoulder, “Thank you Matthew, what’s the condition of our guest?”

“Other than the shot in the leg, which we have a tourniquet on, we haven’t touched him.” He led them into the warehouse and down a corridor to a small room with damp floors.

“We removed his shoes and brought the paddles he used on Ms. Scott in case you wanted to give him a taste.” Matthew excused himself and left the room.

“Hello Jason, long time no see.” Red opened his arms as if to receive a hug.

Red tilted his head and leaned slightly to the side a look of concern on his face when Jason remained seated and failed to reciprocate. “Oh, you seem to be a little tied up.” He waved his hand dismissively. “No worries, it’s probably better if you're sitting for this anyway.”

Jason was starting to sweat, aware that he needed to find a way to placate Red. “Look, you’ve got women from one coast to the other, I really didn’t think you’d miss this one.”

Red’s lips curled in disgust. “This one’s special.” He took off his suit jacket and handed it to Dembe, he loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves.

Dembe walked over to the little cart and flipped the switch to turn them on. He picked up the paddles and handed them to Red then placed a chair in front of the one Jason was tied to.

Red inspected the paddles as he moved to sit across from Jason. He smiled pleasantly before asking, “Who in my organization tipped you off about me?”

“The little man you have driving your whor… err, wife around.”

Red lightly touched Jason’s thigh with one of the paddles. He watched the other man writhe in pain a moment before asking, “Newton Phillips just walked up to you and gave you this information?”

He answered with gritted teeth, “Not directly, no. I didn’t even know who the guy was until I saw him outside the orphanage earlier today and walked in to find your girl there; then I put two and two together.”

Red reached out and touched a paddle to the other thigh. This time Jason yelled in pain, he tried to flip the chair over to put some space between himself and Red, but Dembe went to stand behind him, steadying the chair. He patted Jason on the shoulder once before standing back.

“I need to know who Newton talked to, and before you even think about lying to me, the next time the paddle will land on the little soldier.”

Jason started crying so hard he almost couldn’t speak. “Some guy named Tom Keen. He heard about my deal with you and met me at the airport just before I was going to board the plane to England.”

Red leaned back and crossed his legs. “I’m listening.”

Jason tried to turn his head enough to wipe the snot dripping into his mouth but couldn’t quite get it. He gave up and told Red about the rest of his meeting with Tom. “He said Newton had been contacted by his employers and told them that you were really Raymond Reddington. They needed a way to bring you down; I thought taking your girl would, if not bring you in, at least give me some information to take to them.”

Red regarded Jason for a moment trying to gauge if the man was indeed telling the truth. If he was, that could only mean Tom was back working with the cabal and that Newton was the leak.

Red leaned forward and patted Jason on the thigh with his hand causing the other man to twitch in pain. He frowned before whispering, “You know, if you hadn’t taken her I would have let you live.”

Jason’s eyes widened in fear as Reddington rose and adjusted the dial to the highest setting before turning back to the man in the chair.


	9. Chapter 9

Liz woke with a scream erupting from her throat; she scanned the room: everything was unfamiliar. This was definitely not the apartment she had been sharing with Red. 

There was no sound permeating from beyond the closed doors. She jumped out of the bed to try the door and immediately collapsed on the floor. 

Why did her legs feel like jelly and her sides feel like she had gone a few rounds with Floyd Mayweather? Everything came back in a rush making her head spin for a second. 

If she was careful she might be able to escape through the window. Ugh, how would she be able to crawl out the window if she couldn't get her legs to move?

There was a knock on the door. She frantically tried moving herself to shimmy under the bed, but her limbs were not feeling very cooperative. 

Red stepped quietly into the room. She didn't answer his knock so he assumed she was asleep. He wanted to check on her briefly and assure himself she was alright. 

She wasn't asleep, but curled into a ball on the floor repeating, “Please don’t hurt me”,[,”] over and over.

He reached out and touched her head only to have her flinch away. “Lizzie, sweetheart, look at me, you’re safe now.”

Liz slowly looked up when she recognized his voice. Disbelief etched in her features. “I thought he still had me. This isn't my room.”

“We had to move, we have been exposed and I didn't want to take a chance the men after me would come for you.” He stood and offered her his hand. “Come on, let’s get you back in bed.”

She shook her head to stop him when he reached for her. “I tried to get out of bed, but my legs are like jelly. I don’t think I can walk.”

“Understandable.” He bent down and scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. “It will probably be a few days before you can put your weight on them again. I once had a deal go bad… in Denmark of all places.” Chuckling at the memory as he tucked her into bed. “They used those types of paddles on the tops of my feet”. He sat down on the bed next to her hip and took her hand in his; lightly stroking comforting for himself and he suspected for her as well. “I’ll show you the scars sometime, but it took me almost two weeks before I could walk; sometimes when it’s cold, I feel the ghost of that pain.”

“Was that little story supposed to make me feel better?”

“Not really, no. I just wanted you to know I understand what you’re going through and if you need to talk… “ He let the sentence drop off and gave her hand a light squeeze. “Do you need anything?”

“Can you ask Mr. Kaplan to come in?”

His face froze and for a moment his disappointment showed before he masked it again. “Of course.” 

When he began to stand up Liz grabbed his hand to stop him. “I’m not dismissing you, I just need to use the restroom.”

"Okay, I'll go get her. I could look for a book to read to you while she helps you, if you’d like."

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

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Liz spent two days in blissful comfort. Red would come to read to her in the afternoons and in the evenings he would tell her stories of his life on the run; mostly exaggerated she was sure. 

On the second night Liz was awoken by a strange noise. Her room suddenly felt oppressive; the hairs on the back of her neck stirred. The sound came again; this time closer. She laid there frozen, unsure of what to do. 

When she heard the shuffle of feet near the foot of her bed, she let out a scream but it was quickly muffled by a hand over her mouth. “Liz, it’s me. I’m here to get you out of here.”

Her eyes widened in surprised horror. How did Tom find her here? He slowly lifted his hand; hovering it over her face in case he needed to stifle another scream. 

Annoyed now; she pushed his hand away from her face. “I’m not in any danger. How did you even find me here?”

“Reddington is a dangerous man, he isn’t who you think he is.” He pulled the covers from her and tried to take her hand.

She batted his hands away and asked incredulously, “Who do I think he is?” 

“He is a criminal, and you have no idea what he is truly capable of, Liz.” He grabbed her wrist and hauled her out of the bed.

Movement was still painful; but she tried to struggle out of his grasp. “Let go of me!”

He spun her around and hauled her back into his chest, covering her mouth with his hand. He whispered furiously, “Be quiet before you wake up Reddington.”

“Too late.” Red swung the door wide with one hand while he aimed his gun with the other; Dembe close behind.

“Stop right there.” Tom quickly pulled his own gun out and placed it at Liz’s temple.

“Are you all right, Lizzie?” Red was deadly calm on the surface, underneath he was battling for control. He knew what Tom was capable of; that Tom would not hesitate to pull the trigger if threatened. 

“Yes.” Her voice shook with her fear. She kept her gaze on Red; it helped to calm her even though his eyes never left Tom.

“Let her go and we let you walk out of here alive.” Red sidestepped from the doorway to allow Dembe clear sight of Tom. He wanted nothing more than to kill the little rat; he just wasn’t sure how Lizzie would react.

Tom huffed a laugh. “I was just telling Lizzie about the real Reddington. I have no doubt she will come with me willingly.”

“You’re an idiot Tom, I’m not going anywhere with you.” She felt his hand slacken at her declaration. She used her elbow to jab him in the stomach and flee his grasp; running straight into Red.

He hugged her with one hand while still leveling his gun at Tom with the other. “I’m a man of my word: Get out, now.”

Tom stood there watching Liz in Reddington’s arms, he noticed then a suit jacket draped over the end of the bed. “I don’t understand… “

“There only thing to understand is that you need to leave, before I change my mind.” Red pushed Liz behind him when he noticed Tom’s gun twitch.

“The cabal wants you dead, Reddington. I’ll let them know she is a weakness and they’ll use her to get to you; better keep my leftovers close.” He winked at Liz as he backed himself to the window.

“You sick bastard,” Liz cried. She reached up and squeezed Red’s hand causing him to pull the trigger; shooting Tom in the heart.

Red stood looking down at Tom Keen’s body with his mouth hanging open for a long moment before turning to Lizzie. 

She looked coldly up at him. “I won’t let them use me to get to you.”

“They probably already know about you sweetheart. They will send someone else after you.”

“Then I guess Tom was right about one thing.”

“You’re not leftovers Lizzie. You are a main course I would very much like to feast upon.” 

A blush heated her face and chased a trail down her neck, across her clavicle, and between her breasts; Red tracked it until it disappeared below her tank top

“I meant that you should keep me close.”

He handed his gun to Dembe. He cupped her face with his hands; bent until his lips hovered just above hers and whispered, “I plan to,” before kissing her softly.

Mr. Kaplan walked in dressed and ready to go. “The jet is waiting for you, best hurry up. My team is on their way to help me clean up this mess.”

Liz understood then what Kate had meant when she said she was a cleaner. “When you said clean, I thought you meant… wow.”

Mr. Kaplan smirked before fishing out a pair of medical gloves from her bag, pulling them on while she bent to her task of the eradication of Tom Keen.

Red took hold of Liz’s hand gaining her attention. “Are you sure you want to stay with me, Lizzie? There is no going back, you will be labeled a criminal.”

She smiled happily up at him. “Yes Ray, I choose you.”

“I’m gonna make you famous, Lizzie.” Together they would be strong. He couldn’t imagine a life without her and he wasn’t going to let her go now that he had her. He led her out the door and into their future.

 

Fin


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